Combined knife and razor



May 23, 3944- E. R. DOUGLAss COMBINED KNIFE AND RAZOR Filed Aug. 18, 191443 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 1111/1,qll'lll/11111111111111111111 EDWARD R. DOUGLASS May 23, 1944, E. R. DoucaLAss COMBINED KNIFE AND RAZOR Filed Aug. 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 EDWARD R. DOUGL ASS Patented May 23, 1944 'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

COMBINED KNlFE AND RAZOR Edward R. Douglass, Eckman, N. Dak.

Application August 18, 1943, Serial No. 499,151

Claims. v(Cl. 30-122) This invention relates to improvements in cutting devices and pertains particularly to an improved combined knife and razor.

The present invention is based upon my prior invention as disclosed in my Patent No. 2,253,422, issued Aug. 19, 1941 and comprises certain improvements thereover, an important object of the present invention being to provide a novel means of maintaining the several parts of the device in operative relation and of maintaining the knife blade in a position whereby it may be readily withdrawn for use.

. Another important object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of knife using, as in my prior patent, a razor blade in which a means is provided whereby the blade may be easily loosened to be withdrawn from its housing for use in the event that it sticks or freezes as a result of the development of rust from moisture which may get in between the housed blade and adjacent parts.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a combined razor and knife, in which means is provided to facilitate use of the discarded razor blades as the knife blades and in which the knife blade, when set in a predetermined position, provides a support for a razor blade carrying head and a coupling between such head and the knife and razor handle.

A further object is to provide a combined razor and knife wherein a novel arrangement and construction of the razor blade head and handle makes possible the use as a knife blade of the razor blade after it is no longer usable for shaving and also the use of such blade as a connecting means between the razor head and the handle.

A still further object is to provide in a razor a novel blade holding head having a simply constructed but efficient blade edge guard.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, with the understanding that the invention is not confined to a strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but may be changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

l Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the present invention assembled for use as a razor.

Figure 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken `on theline 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure is a view in longitudinal section, of the device with the razor head removed and il lustratng how the razor-knife blade is housed.

Figure 6 is a sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a partial section corresponding to Figure 6 but showing the knife-blade extended.

Figure 8 is a sectional View on the line 8-8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view partly in section of the bar enclosing sleeve showing the face of the cam.

Figure 10 is a view in perspective of the under side of the center of the razor head plate.

Figure 11 is a view in perspective of the locking key.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference character A generally designates the handle of the present device While the head, which is demountable from the handle, is generally designated B.

In accordance with the present invention, the handle comprises an elongated case I0 which is open at one end and in which the head B is housed when not in use.

The open end of the case frictionally receives and is closed by the stem end Il of a socket member I2, which is closed at its inner end by the stem, as at I3, and is open at its other or outer end. These parts are relatively flat, or are substantially rectangular in cross section as shown in Figure 3.

Slidably disposed in the socket I2 is the relatively long and flat sleeve I4, which may -be shifted inwardly against the bottom I3 of the socket and which has limited outward movement as hereinafter described.

Extending through the sleeve I4 and into the socket I2 is the elongated flat bar I5 which has a width substantially equal to the inside width cf the sleeve, so that it will have a snug sliding fit therein, but is of a thickness considerably less than the inside thickness of the sleeve. This bar is secured at its inner end I5 to the bottom of the socket and is centered in the sleeve I4, so that there is provided a blade chamber or pocket I1 between one side of the bar and the wall of the sleeve. The sleeve thus slides on the bar.

The `inward sliding of the sleeve on the bar is, of course, limited by the bottom of the socket. The outward sliding thereof is limited by cutting away or recessing, as at I8, a part of one edge of the bar from the inner end to form the shoulder I9, and by providing the adjacent edge or narrow side wall of the sleeve with an inturned finger 20 which moves in the recess and butts against the shoulder when the sleeve is slid outwardly.

The numeral 2l designates a razor blade of a well known make which is relatively narrow and sharpened on one edge, although a doubleedge blade may be used in this device if desired.

This blade is inserted into the chamber I'I and its inward movement is limited by the stop rib 22 carried by the bar I5, so that the blade cannot go all of the way into the chamber when the sleeve is in.

The sleeve and bar form a clamping or locking means for holding the blade 2i in extended position for use. This locking of the blade is accomplished by forming the cam face 23 across the side of the bar I at the outer end thereof and upon the side opposite the chamber I1 into which the blade goes, so that when the sleeve is slid out the end edge near the cam face 23 will engage such face and flex the bar over to bind the blade between the bar and the wall of the sleeve adjacent thereto.

As shown in Figure 7, the shoulder i9 is farther out toward the free end of the bar than the stop rib 232 and the linger 2G is father in than the stop rib, when the sleeve is at the limit of its inward movement. Thus, since some of the blade extends over the recess, when it is resting upon the stop rib, when the sleeve is shifted outwardly the finger will engage the end of the blade and shift it out. This action accomplishes two results. It moves the blade out where, by slipping the sleeve back, it can be gotten hold of to be drawn out to a desired position, and it will break the blade loose if it has lbecome stuck, as by rust, for example, to the bar. After adjusting the blade as desired, the sleeve having been shifted back to ungrip the blade, the sleeve is then shifted outwardly again so as to bind or grip the blade in place.

In order to prevent the blade being inserted between the gripping bar I5 and the wall of the sleeve upon the wrong side of the bar, a stop lug 24 is secured to the gripping bar upon the opposite side of the bar from the chamber I1. The head comprises a plate of slightly greater length than the blade 2i, having a portion of each end turned back to form a resilient holding nger 2t. At the back edge of this plate there is formed, at the longitudinal center of the plateI the spring clip stem 2'! formed of two parts 2'!a and 27",

The two parts 2la and 2lb are elongated and the part 2la is integrally joined along the major portion of one edge to the edge of the plate 2l. A part 21C of one end of portion Ela is free and this portion has a shallow groove 33, pressed therein and across the inner face thereof. The inner face of portion ille is considered the face nearest `the opposite or other edge of the plate 2l.

The portion 2lb substantially parallels the inner side of portion 2W and is resiliently joined to portion Zia at 34 and is of slightly greater length than portion 27a and also has a shallow groove 55 formed thereacross in opposed relation with groove 33. These grooves receive the opposite longitudinal edges of the tongue 35 oi a key 3T which is inserted to secure the head upon the knife blade, as hereinafter described. The longitudinal edges of the portions 21a and 2lb, which are remote from the plate 21, are recessed near their free ends, as indicated at 38, to receive the at head 39 of the key, whereby the head of the key will not have its top surface disposed beyond the longitudinal edges oi the portions. However, the side edges of the key will project laterally beyond the side faces of the two portions, so that it will be easy to grasp the key head to effect its removal.

The spring clip 2'! extends down from the under face of the plate 25, this being the face to which the resilient fingers 26 are opposed.

The shaving blade 28 is mounted on the head by slipping the ends of the blade under the spring ngers 2t, the back of the blade being toward the clip stem 27. In order that the blade may be retained in proper position for shaving with the cutting edge extending beyond the front edge of the head plate 25, the plate has pressed therein, or otherwise suitably formed, the stop buttons 29 near the back edge of the plate, against which the back edge of the blade abuts.

The numeral di) designates a guard for the lade edge. This consists of a length of Wire oi suitable character having the two angularly extending, parallel end legs 3l, which are slipped in under the resilient fingers 26. The part between the legs 3i is bent to have a wavy or corruged form, as indicated at 32. The corrugated portion its width lying in a plane oblique to the plane of the adjacent blade and isxdisposed just in front of the blade edge and thus functions in the usual manner of such guards.

The razor head B is stored in the case I0, when not wanted for use. When the razor is to be used, the knife blade 2| is drawn out a suitable distance and secured by the clamping means. The razor head B is then mounted upon the outer end thereof, as shown in Figure 3, by slipping the end of the knife blade between the two portions 2@ and 2lb of the spring clip stem. The knife blade will be tightly frictionally held but in order to insure against it slipping back out from between the portions, the key 31 is provided and the tongue thereof is inserted between the portions in the grooves as described to guard against such misshap.

After the shaving blade becomes unfit for-further shaving use, it may be used as a knife blade in the manner illustrated.

From the foregoing it will be seen that there is provided in the present invention a novel knife and razor device, which may be inexpensively made and which will give satisfactory service in either of its capacities. The device may also be made so as to be attractive in appearance and may be carried in the pocket or handbag in the manner of a pocket knife.

I claim:

1. A device of the character set forth, comprising a handle, a razor blade supporting head, means for securing a razor `blade in an end of the handle in such manner that the blade and handle may be used as a knife, and means carried by the head for securing the head to the handle supported blade in position for use in shaving.

2. A device of the character set forth, comprising a handle, means forming a Asockel; at one end of the handle, a razor head, means for securing a razor blade in said head for use, said socket being of a size to receive an end of a blade of the same size as that used in the head, means for clamping the blade in the socket to extend therefrom lengthwise of the handle, and

means carried by the head for gripping the end of the handle carried blade to support the head in position for shaving.

3. A device as set forth in claim `2, in which said handle includes a removable hollow portion forming a casing to receive said head.

4. A cutting device comprising a casing sleeve open at both ends, a cutting blade inserted into an end of the casing, an elongated bar snugly fitting within the casing and having sliding movement therethrough, said bar being of a length greater than the sleeve, one end portion of the bar being of increased thickness to coact with a wall of the casing, when said extremity is moved into the casing, to clamp said cutting blade between said wall of the casing and the said end portion of the bar, and means carried by the bar forming a stop to limit the movement of the blade into the casing.

5. A holder for a knife blade, comprising a casing sleeve open at both ends, a bar iitting in said sleeve and having sliding movement therethrough, the bar being of a length greater than the sleeve, a socket into `which one end of the sleeve ts, said bar being secured to the socket at the end adjacent the said one end of the sleeve, the other end portion of the bar being of increased thickness to coact with a wall of the sleeve when the said other end is moved into the sleeve to clamp a cutting blade between the bar and a wall of the sleeve, and coacting stop members carried by the bar and sleeve limiting movement of the sleeve outwardly on the bar toward the said end of increased thickness.

6. A holder for a knife blade, comprising a casing sleeve, open at both ends, a bar tting in said sleeve and having sliding movement therethrough, the bar being of a length greater than the sleeve, a socket into which one end of the sleeve fits, said bar being secured to the socket at the end adjacent the said one end of the sleeve, the other end portion of the bar being of increased thickness to coact with a wall of the sleeve when the said other end is moved into the sleeve to clamp a cutting blade between the bar and a wall of the sleeve, said bar being cut away to form a longitudinally extending recess, a stop shoulder at one end of the recess, and a movement limiting finger carried by the sleeve and disposed in said recess for engagement with said shoulder to limit movement of the sleeve on the bar toward the thickened end.

7. A holder for a knife blade, comprising a casing sleeve open at both ends, a bar tting in said sleeve and having sliding movement therethrough, the bar being of a, length greater than the sleeve, a socket into which one end of the sleeve ts, said bar being secured to the socket at the end adjacent the said one end of the sleeve, the other end portion of the bar being of increased thickness to coact with a wall of the sleeve when the said other end is moved into the sleeve to clamp a cutting blade between the bar and a wall of the sleeve, a stop rib carried by the bar for limiting the movement of the blade into the sleeve, a recess formed in an edge of the bar from the inner end outwardly and terminating at the outer end in a stop shoulder, and a movement limiting finger carried by the sleeve and disposed in the recess for coaction with the 'stop shoulder, the finger being adapted to engage an end of an inserted blade, as the finger moves outward in the recess and shift the blade away from the stop rib.

8. In a razor, a handle, means forming a neck extending longitudinally from an end of the handle and being in the form of a relatively thin strip of metal, a razor blade head comprising an elongated iiat body, resilient clasp iingers at each end ci the body for slidably resiliently engaging ends of a razor blade disposed against one face of the body, means forming a guard for the blade, and a resilient clasp carried by the head at one longitudinal edge and adapted to frictionally engage an end of said strip.

9. In a razor, a handle, an elongated metal strip secured at one in and extending longitudinally from an end of the handle for longitudinal adjustment with respect to the handle, a razor head comprising an elongated flat body, resilient iingers carried by the ends of said head body and coacting with one face thereof, saidfingers frictionally engaging the ends of a razor blade disposed against said face, means on the head body limiting movement of the blade with re spect to one longitudinal edge of the body, and a resilient clasp forming two resiliently joined portions, one of said portions being joined to said longitudinal edge of the body, the clasp extending perpendicular to said body face, the clasp irictionally receiving the free end of said metal strip and maintaining the razor head in shaving position on the handle.

10. A razor as set forth in claim 9, with means detachably coupling the two portions of the clasp adjacent the unconnected ends thereof for preventing disengagement of the clasp from the free end of the metal strip.

EDWARD R. DOUGLASS. 

